


The Signalman

by alphamikefoxtrot



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-20
Updated: 2013-08-20
Packaged: 2017-12-24 03:05:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/934554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alphamikefoxtrot/pseuds/alphamikefoxtrot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was written for a roleplay meme on tumblr. The prompt is "It's in the middle of the night and my muse had a nightmare about yours- what does my muse do?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Signalman

**Author's Note:**

> Set after The Doctor Dances. Events from said episode are mentioned.

It was close to one o'clock in the morning by human standard in the TARDIS. There was only three occupants in the time ship. One of them was sleeping like a baby, the other one wasn't sleeping well, and the last wasn't sleeping at all as he was walking down the hall after making himself a mug of hot chocolate with a book in his other hand. His trusty leather jacket wasn't wrapped around his shoulders like usual. Instead, he had a distinct fresh smell as if he had just gotten out of shower (which he had) and a thin v-neck tee. He was, in a word, quite content with himself.

However, his contentment was abruptly defenestrated when he heard an unmistakable  _thump-thump-thump_ of someone running with purpose (or in panic) coming from the end of the corridor, just five meters before him. Flight or fight instinct kicked in, he took in his assets—no sonic screwdriver, only a mug of hot chocolate and a first edition Charles Dickens. He definitely was going to hurl—

"Rose?"

"Oh my God, Doctor—" He didn't have the time to reply or to register the look on her face when she so quickly had her arms wound tightly around his neck, pulling him down to her height, leaving him frantically balancing the hot mug.

"Wh—" He started, with a mouthful of blonde hair.

"Shh," she stopped him, and there was a distinct damp quality of her voice… Like she'd just been crying. _Still does_ , he thought, if the cheek pressed against his neck was a hint.

"Rose?" His tone was concerned now. "What's wrong?" Today had been fantastic, one of the best days in his life. An egg was delivered, everybody lived and most importantly the captain understood that the blonde is off limits. Why was she crying?

"I—" She managed while choking back her tears. "You _died_."

He stiffened. "I what?"

"I-in my dream... _Doctor_ , I dreamt that you left me an' you—an' you—" She shook her head, burrowing her face in the crook of his neck. She could still see it happening when she closed her eyes. 

_A golden light struck him, sending his usually sturdy frame staggering backwards. He was visibly in pain but he tried to hide it from her. He was smiling at her even as he stopped breathing—_

"Hey, 'm not. I'm alright, we're both here. See? Fantastic, even, me." His voice pulled her back to reality. "We'll go to Kyoto, yeah? It's in Japan. Somewhen fun. The year thirteen-thirty-six with samurais and shoguns, geisha an' kabuki. Even Jack will have fun." He grinned at her as he pulled back to look into her eyes but didn't let go.

"Okay," she replied with a faint smile even though it couldn't quite hide the way her chin still quivered with worry.

"C'mon, let's get you back to bed." He moved to take her hand in his, forgetting that he had a book in his hand. "Whoops," he chuckled and gave her the book before properly holding her hand.  


*** 

He ended up reading The Signalman to her until she fell asleep.


End file.
